After a month of businesses being disrupted, sidewalks blocked by unsanitary tents and multiple arrests, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney gave in to the demands of Leftist radicals and professional agitators to end the city’s information-sharing contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Since they began, the protests have focused on denying ICE access to the Preliminary Arraignment Reporting System (PARS), a database which provides real-time notification of felony and misdemeanor arrests made by Philadelphia police.

While other federal agencies like the FBI and ATF will retain access to the data, Mayor Kenney and City Solicitor Marcel Pratt announced on July 27 that ICE would be walled off when the contract ends on August 31.

“For some time now we have been concerned that ICE uses PARS in inappropriate ways, including to conduct investigations that result in immigration enforcement against law-abiding Philadelphia residents,” said Mayor Kenney,

He proclaimed the decision would prevent ICE from being able to “go out and round people up” and that “If I could abolish ICE, I would,” a declaration which won praise from the gathered audience of sanctuary city sympathizers, including delegations from Juntos, an illegal immigrant rights group, and the New Sanctuary movement.

While Kenney said he would stop honoring ICE detainers on his first day in office, ending the contract with ICE was not a given when the protests began.

That changed one week into the protests when violent clashes broke out and more than 30 activists were arrested. A few days later, police took down the tents and evicted the inhabitants that were creating security and health risks to the public.

“I frankly am sad that this situation happened because I actually agree with the protesters and have been working very hard to keep people, immigrants documented and undocumented, safe,” whimpered Kenney, according to Philly.com.

What Kenney failed to note is that a defendant’s immigration status is not included in the database because Philadelphia police are prohibited from inquiring about any person’s immigration status.

Whatever his motives, his actions received rightful criticism.

“This is an irresponsible decision that results in the city harboring criminal aliens,” said Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokeswoman Katie Waldman. Regardless of the decision, she said DHS “will continue to work to remove illegal aliens and uphold public safety.”

That is what ICE has been doing. Last month, they arrested Guillermo Leon-Sandoval, 35, who had been charged by Philadelphia police after his estranged wife accused him of unlawful restraint/serious bodily injury; simple assault; and false imprisonment. There was a detainer and criminal arrest warrant for him, but local police released him anyway.

Criminal aliens will not avoid accountability – and neither should political leaders like Jim Kenney who sacrifice security and yield to political blackmail.

About Author

Jennifer joined FAIR as Web Content Writer in 2017 and brings to the role extensive communications and media background. She began her career as a policy research analyst on multiple national and state political campaigns before entering journalism. In addition to spending over a decade writing for several broadcast and print news outlets, Jennifer directed communications strategy for a member of Congress and a military nonprofit.

To the best of my knowledge aiding/abetting/harboring illegal aliens is a violation of federal immigration laws. The longer DOJ allows Kenney and others of his ilk to blatantly violate federal law the more we allow these illegal aliens and corrupted politicians to change our country into a clone of the lawless and violent third world countries these illegal aliens left behind before invading ours.

Two words: Mob rule. The message being sent by this is that you can break the law and you will be rewarded. This was not a “protest”. They were blocking access to buildings. And the mayor wants to abolish ICE, which is just code for open borders. If you look at the right side of the above picture you see a sign saying “no borders” and he says he “agrees” with them. Federal charges need to be brought against some of these politicians because they are by definition assisting illegal entry. A few lawsuits by people who are victims of these criminals they put back on the street couldn’t hurt either. You can say that it’s “just the far left” who endorse these positions but there is no amount of spin that can refute the fact that elected officials are doing this.

excellent comment….couldn’t say it better. How these politicians get away with this is crazy. ICE is a department worth paying taxes for. Trafficking, human and drugs, illegal aliens, gangs, criminal control from south of the border. Right now we have an all out invasion via bs amnesty claims. Double the department funds today, Arrests these traitors slash politicians.

The mayor giving into illegal demands against our Constitutional laws and the safety also security of American Citizens is only fueling there violent aggressive propaganda agenda. The Officials need to grow a pair to enforce our laws.

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